The Call of Balkisia
by SparksJSH
Summary: The Balkisian Winds are having a dangerous effect on Nyssa.
1. The Storm Without

The Call of Balkisia  
  
By: Jennifer Hart  
  
Author's note: This takes place in the 5th Doctor era between Kinda and Visitation. BBC owns the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric.  
  
Part One: The Storm Without  
  
"Doctor, do you know where we are going?" Tegan Jovanka's brassy Aussie tone held just a hint of annoyance for annoyed she was. The purple hue of the sky and the blue sands that spread out as far as the eye could see had immediately made clear that not only had the TARDIS failed to return her to Heathrow yet again, but had once more skipped Earth altogether. She'd been all for leaving straight away but the Doctor had insisted on checking out their surroundings.  
  
They'd been walking for a little over an hour. The TARDIS was well out of sight but the rest of the scenery remained the same. Sand and sky, sky and sand; no trees, no life forms, no sign of civilization. To make matters worse, an unusual wind had started to blow lightly across the sand.  
  
"Of course I don't, Tegan. That would spoil all the fun."  
  
"Is that a civilization up ahead, Doctor?" Nyssa's voice, unlike her companion's, betrayed no emotion. The Doctor cut her a worried look instead of following her point to the structure well off the horizon. Though he had said nothing to anyone, he was starting to worry about his youngest companion. She had lost so much in her young life and he felt more than a little to blame for most of it. He had recognized in her a natural shyness when he in his previous regeneration and Adric had first met her on Traken. However, since she'd learned of her father's apparent death at the hand of the Master as well as the obliteration of the planet she'd always called home, she seemed to be drawing more and more into herself. It seemed to him that she basically went about her daily routine simply because it was expected of her.  
  
Nyssa shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze so the Doctor looked to where she was pointing. Way off in the distance barely visable was a dome-like structure. He smiled. "Yes, it does appear to be. Tegan, that is where we are heading."  
  
A bit of sand blew in Adric's eye and he grumbled under his breath. Things were certainly different since the Doctor had regenerated. No longer was it just he and the Doctor roaming the universe since Nyssa and Tegan had arrived. Tegan was seldom fun to be around; she was always complaining about something, usually about the TARDIS not getting her home. Nyssa had held such promise of a close friendship until the moment they had watched Traken being taken over by the entropy field. He'd seen in it her eyes; though barely a tear had fallen, the spark had gone out of them. He felt almost protective of her now even if that led to arguments every now and then.  
  
The four had barely taken twenty steps after Nyssa's discovery when the wind picked up even more. Walking became increasingly difficult as the sand picked up and blew in their faces. Talking was impossible and visibility was almost nil. If they weren't careful, they would lose sight of each other completely. Not for the first time did the Doctor miss his old familiar multicolored scarf. Though it would be out of place with his Edwardian cricket outfit he'd adopted since the regeneration, it's length would have at least ensured they would be able to stay together.  
  
Reaching out, the Doctor grabbed the nearest hand he could find -- Tegan's by the feel of it. He gave it a squeeze to encourage her to do the same with either Adric or Nyssa. He needn't have bothered. Adric was not waiting on anyone to take his hand. With his right hand he groped about catching Tegan's free hand. With his left, he tried to do the same with Nyssa. She wasn't there.  
  
Shielding his eyes with his free arm, Adric looked for his younger friend. He was horrified to see that the wind had toppled her into the blowing blue sands. He tugged Tegan's hand so she would follow him. As he reached his fallen friend's side, Nyssa was struggling to her feet but the wind kept knocking her down. Sand blew up her nose and past her clenched lips threatening to choke her. She was relieved when Adric's hand grasped her wrist and he helped to her feet.  
  
The Doctor pulled them in close so he could be heard over the wind. "We have no choice but to try to reach the dome. It's closer than the TARDIS and I'm afraid we may not be able to find our way back if we tried. Stay close and no matter what, don't let go."  
  
It was slow going. Each took a turn falling and having to be helped up. By the time the dome came close enough to raise their hopes that they would survive, the four were exhausted. The Doctor banged on the door hoping the wind wouldn't drown out the sound. Suddenly it slid open and the four tumbled inside. The door closed behind them and t last the swirling wind was gone.  
  
"Where…where are we?" Tegan gasped as she regained her breath.  
  
"Apparently the foyer area of the dome entrance. Quite ingenious of them actually. The door opens from the outside and admits people but the inner door remains closed until the outside door is closed and the interior is safe from the sand storm." The Time Lord appeared fully recovered as he knelt beside the Australian. "Are you okay, Tegan?"  
  
"I will be no thanks to the sand sandwich I ate out there."  
  
"Adric?"  
  
The boy nodded from where he was sprawled half sitting, half lying on the floor. He was out of shape, not accustomed to the exertion the trek through the storm had required of him.  
  
"Nyssa?" The Doctor gave his young companion a worried look. She was so small the wind had to have been even fiercer on her. But the young woman from Traken had risen to her feet, her breathing labored but not as much as Adric's or Tegan's. She smiled to allay his concerns.  
  
"I'm fine. If storms like that are common, it's no wonder there's so little sign of civilization."  
  
The inner door slid open to reveal three men in burnt orange robes. They looked surprised to see the four travelers there but not unduly alarmed. The Doctor gave them a smile. "Hello, there. Lovely weather, isn't it?"  
  
Adric and Tegan arose and along with Nyssa followed the Doctor out of the foyer. No one noticed the flash of pain that crossed Nyssa's delicate features. She rubbed her temples as if trying to ward off a headache.  
  
"Who are you? Why are you outside during the Balkisian Winds?"  
  
"Balkisian Winds, so that's what the storm is called. I'm afraid we aren't from around here. We were caught before we knew what was going on and unable to return to our craft. We are certainly glad to have found your dome here. I hope we would not be troubling you too much if we asked to stay here until the storm lets up."  
  
One of them men nodded. "Of course you may. To travel in this storm would be suicide. Welcome to the Life Dome. I'm Barel, Chief Elder of the dome." He introduced the two men with him as Gorek and Thomes, two of the other Elders of the community. The Doctor shook their hands as he began his introductions.  
  
"I'm the Doctor, and these are my companions, Tegan, Adric and … Nyssa?" His tone rose in concern when he looked at the brown-haired Trakenite. Her face was pale, twisted in pain; her eyes were closed tightly and she swayed back and forth like she was about to faint. Concerned, he forgot about the newcomers and wrapped his arm around Nyssa's slender waist before she could fall. She sagged against him, her fingernails digging into his arm.  
  
"Make…make the pain…go away." 


	2. The Storm Within

Part Two: The Storm Within  
  
  
  
"I'm the Doctor, and these are my companions, Tegan, Adric and … Nyssa?" His tone rose in concern when he looked at the brown-haired Trakenite. Her face was pale, twisted in pain; her eyes were closed tightly and she swayed back and forth like she was about to faint. Concerned, he forgot about the newcomers and wrapped his arm around Nyssa's slender waist before she could fall. She sagged against him, her fingernails digging into his arm.  
  
"Make…make the pain…go away."  
  
"Doctor, what's wrong with her?" Adric demanded, his face full of concern for his friend.  
  
Ignoring the question, the Doctor gave Nyssa a thorough once-over but could find no obvious reason for her distress. He looked to the newcomers. "I'm sorry, it appears my young friend has taken ill. Is there somewhere we can take her so she can lie down."  
  
The three men exchanged a look that suggested to Tegan that they knew what was going on. There was an excited energy about them that she couldn't explain. She was about to call them on it when Gorek stepped forward. "Of course. If the young lady can walk, follow us. The guest quarters are on Level 6."  
  
The Doctor urged Nyssa forward but she resisted his efforts. The overwhelming pain in her head left her brain incapable of producing even the simplest commands. With a frown, he swept her up in his arms and followed the three Elders to a central lift. Tegan and Adric trailed worriedly behind them.  
  
Carrying Nyssa's lightweight form was no problem for the Doctor. His mind was running through possible reasons for her distress but he kept coming up empty. The only possible solution that made even the remotest sense was that maybe some unknown creature hidden in the sand had bitten her. But determining that would have to wait until they reached the guest quarters.  
  
Suddenly her fingernails dug into his arm even more tightly causing him to wince. What hurt even more though were the animal-like guttural whimpers of pain that Nyssa began to make. He held her tighter against his chest, hoping it would bring her at least some reassurance or comfort. "Please hurry," he begged their hosts. "I do believe she's getting worse."  
  
Tegan shot Adric a worried frown. It didn't appear that Barel, Gorek or Thomes were even listening to them. They appeared to be too caught up whispering amongst themselves to have even heard the Doctor's plea. Adric nodded to her, indicating that he had seen it as well. He was about to say something when the lift doors opened and they stepped out.  
  
"Bring her in here. Would you like for us to send one of our medical specialists to examine her? Although you did say you were a doctor."  
  
"Unfortunately, I'm not a medical doctor. I would appreciate having one of your specialists look at her."  
  
The three robed men left as the Doctor led the way into the room, carefully settling Nyssa on a small cot. The young girl curled up in the fetal position clutching her head with hands. The Doctor knelt next to her. "Nyssa, can you hear me?"  
  
"Pain, such pain."  
  
"Were you bitten in the sand storm? Is that what's causing your pain?"  
  
But Nyssa couldn't respond. She was still conscious but all she could do as she lay there writing in pain was repeat the same three words. Frowning, the Doctor raised the right leg of her maroon velvet trouser but saw no signs of a bite. He did the same thing with her left leg and her arms. He checked every exposed part of her skin but for the sake of her dignity, he went no further. He rose.  
  
Tegan sat on the bed beside her and gently stroked her back hoping to provide comfort. "Doctor, what's wrong with her?"  
  
"Could this be linked to what happened to her after we left the Monarch's ship? I thought the 48 hours of D sleep was supposed to cure that." Adric suggested.  
  
"It did. This is something different. I've never seen anything like it before. Hopefully their specialist can help her. It's bizarre though. Usually when a person is in as much pain as Nyssa obviously is, the body shuts down. It renders the person unconscious as an escape to the pain."  
  
"Doctor, are you sure we can trust these people? We don't know anything about them."  
  
The Time Lord sighed. "What choice do we have, Tegan? I don't know what's wrong with her, let alone how to cure her."  
  
"Can you knock her out?" Adric asked. Tegan glared at him for making such a suggestion but he shrugged. "I'd rather her be knocked out and not suffering from that pain. Wouldn't you?"  
  
Tegan had to admit he had a point. She hated seeing her friend like this. "Can you, Doctor?"  
  
"Not without knowing what is causing this. I don't want to do more harm than good. I know it is difficult seeing her in this much agony. However, we can all agree that Nyssa is strong. She will be all right."  
  
Neither Adric nor Tegan commented on the fact that he seemed to be trying to convince himself of that more than them. The door slid open and Tegan stood up in surprise. The man who entered could only be compared to Adonis. He had white blonde hair, muscular build and eyes ice blue. He was wearing the same color as the Elders but he was dressed in a tunic and trousers.  
  
"I am Sarif. I was told someone was ill."  
  
The Doctor stuck out his hand to be shaken and quickly introduced Adric and Tegan. He couldn't help but notice that Sarif held Tegan's gaze for longer than a minute before allowing himself to be directed to Nyssa.  
  
The poor young woman was one convulsive shudder and her cries had once again returned to painful animal-like groans. He frowned but made no move to go to her. He looked at the others. "She is a child."  
  
Tegan couldn't keep her eyes off the medic. "Can you help her?"  
  
He refused to come any closer almost as if he was scared of Nyssa. "When did this start?"  
  
"She's getting worse but it started right after we left the storm." Adric supplied.  
  
"Not quite," reminded the Doctor. "She was fine in the foyer. Remember, she recovered faster from the storm than either of you. It was only after we entered the main structure that she seemed to take ill. I've never seen anything like this before. Have you?"  
  
"She is only a child." Sarif repeated. He frowned but Tegan wasn't quite sure what had upset him.  
  
"She may be the youngest of everyone in the room." Adric supplied, slightly annoyed on his friend's behalf and half afraid he'd be the next to receive the label of being a child. "But she's not a child."  
  
Sarif blushed. "I mean no offense. I've just never seen this in one so young, let alone an off-worlder."  
  
"So you know what's wrong with her." Tegan smiled, relieved that help would soon be forthcoming for Nyssa.  
  
"This cannot be. I'm sorry, I must consult with the Elders before I confirm my diagnosis. Please excuse me."  
  
Moving swiftly, Adric blocked the exit. "Wait, you have to do something to ease her pain at least. What kind of medic are you?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Sarif apologized again. Once again, he fixed his gaze on Tegan as if he were apologizing just to her. "If I'm right and I pray that I'm not, your friend will find little relief. Excuse me, I must hurry." Without another word he pushed past Adric and left.  
  
Both Tegan and Adric looked to the Doctor for advice. Saying nothing to either of them, he knelt beside Nyssa's bed. The young woman's hands were grasping at her hair as if she could pull it out. Gently he disentangled the brown tendrils of hair from her fingers and held her hands tightly.  
  
"Oh, Nyssa, what have I done to you?"  
  
Her eyes fluttered and her face twisted with more pain. "Doctor? Help me."  
  
Leaning over he gave her forehead a comforting kiss. Then he stood up. "I'm going to go see what I can find out. I want the two of you to stay here; keep an eye on Nyssa. I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
For once, neither Tegan nor Adric argued. They couldn't leave their friend to suffer alone. It looked as if the Doctor himself was reluctant to leave Nyssa even in their care as he left the room. The minutes after he left seemed to stretch but suddenly Nyssa became still.  
  
Tegan looked down half hoping that unconsciousness had finally relieved Nyssa of her suffering. But the girl's eyes were opened. Her breath came in swallow pants. Though her brown eyes were focused right on Tegan, the Australian wasn't sure Nyssa was actually seeing her.  
  
"Nyssa?"  
  
The young woman bolted upright and grabbed Tegan in a tight hug. Her body was shaking. "Oh, mother. I knew you would come back." 


	3. Ghosts

Part Three: Ghosts  
  
Tegan looked down half hoping that unconsciousness had finally relieved Nyssa of her suffering. But the girl's eyes were opened. Her breath came in swallow pants. Though her brown eyes were focused right on Tegan, the Australian wasn't sure Nyssa was actually seeing her.  
  
"Nyssa?"  
  
The young woman bolted upright and grabbed Tegan in a tight hug. Her body was shaking. "Oh, mother. I knew you would come back."  
  
Surprised Tegan looked at Adric. "Mother?" She mouthed. Adric shrugged. From what Nyssa had told him, though she didn't talk about it much, her mother had died when Nyssa was five years old.  
  
"Nyssa?" Adric sat beside her and gently tapped her shoulder. She pulled back from Tegan almost reluctantly and looked at him. Her eyes lit up.  
  
"Adric, you're here. Did you see? The Keeper has brought back my mother." She looked back at Tegan and blinked several times in confusion. "Who? Where? You're not my mother. What did you do to her?" Huge tears filled her eyes and a couple slipped past her lids to run down her cheeks.  
  
"It's me, Nyssa, Tegan."  
  
Nyssa pushed away from her and Adric curling up into a ball in the corner where the top and side of the bed bumped against the wall. She hid her face from them but it was obvious she was crying.  
  
Tegan rose and motioned for Adric to join her out of earshot of their friend. "She's getting worse. We can't wait for the Doctor to return. I'm going to find Sarif and demand that he do something for her. Will you be okay staying here with her?"  
  
Adric nodded. He felt helpless to help Nyssa but at least she still seemed to know him. How unnerving it must have been for Tegan to be mistaken for her friend's deceased mother. "Be careful. I don't know if I trust these people. They know more than they are telling."  
  
"I know. Sarif looked more scared than threatening. I think he will help." Tegan gave Nyssa one more concerned look and left.  
  
Adric sat down on the second bed in the room and watched his friend. He wanted to say something but didn't know what. He blew out a breath of frustration. Why was he so useless in these situations? Give him a math problem to solve any day. Math was logical. Emotions were anything but. And what Nyssa was experiencing at the moment was definitely emotional.  
  
By now Nyssa was sobbing hysterically. It broke Adric's heart to hear her. In the short amount of time he'd known her, the closest he'd come to seeing her cry was her eyes filling with tears as she watched the entropy field consume Traken. But even then no tears had actually fallen.  
  
He looked up when she made a sharp cry of pain. She was banging her head solidly against the concrete wall. Rapidly he moved to her side, his hand moving to intercept her head before it made its next contact with the wall. She collapsed against him and grabbed his tunic.  
  
"Father, get them out of my head. Please Father, I beg you."  
  
"Adric, what's going on? Where's Tegan?" The Doctor stood in the doorway bewildered and concerned by Nyssa's emotional state.  
  
Adric quickly explained what had happened. He was glad the Doctor was back; surely the Time Lord was more capable of handling what was happening than he was. The Doctor nodded grimly once he'd finished. "Hopefully Tegan will have more success than I had. You say she knew you but not Tegan."  
  
Adric nodded. "But she was just calling me Father. How could she mistake me for Tremas?"  
  
The Doctor sat beside them and gently drew Nyssa into his embrace. Like Adric he was unaccustomed to this side of Nyssa. As worried as he'd been about her, he hadn't wanted her to have an emotional breakdown in this way. He looked down as she became still in his arms. She was looking at him, the expression on her face as unnatural as her tears -- her eyes were flashing with unbridled fury and her jaw was set in anger. He never saw her hand coming until it she slapped him solidly across the cheek.  
  
"You! It's all your fault!"  
  
******  
  
"But Barel, she's just a child."  
  
Tegan stopped outside the room as she recognized Sarif's voice. She didn't enter, figuring she might learn more by eavesdropping.  
  
"It does not matter, Sarif. Do you think I would wish this on anyone, especially one so young? But no one else has shown to be affected. We have no control over this. You know what must be done."  
  
"But it isn't right. She's too young and it's progressing too fast. Her companions will never accept this."  
  
"What choice do they have? What's done is done and there's only one path. We have no control over what Balkisia decrees. Do it quickly before she suffers anymore."  
  
"Too right." Tegan stepped around the corner and glared at the two men. "Nyssa is getting worse. She's having hallucinations. She thought I was her mother."  
  
Barel's gaze bore into Sarif but the medic wouldn't look back. He motioned for Tegan to enter the lab. "Where is her mother?"  
  
"She died some time ago. Please, if you know…"  
  
"It's impossible that she should be at that stage already. Seeing those who have already left the Life shouldn't come for several days yet. Barel…"  
  
The Chief Elder touched Sarif's arm, silencing him. "My dear, I'm afraid your friend's suffering is due to the Balkisian Winds."  
  
"But all of us were caught in the storm. Shouldn't we be affected as well?"  
  
Sarif turned his back as Barel continued. "No, it's very rare. Only one or two suffer from your friend's condition each storm."  
  
Tegan crossed her arms across her chest. "So you knew what it was from the moment you saw how she was reacting. Why let Nyssa go through such misery?"  
  
"Barel, Nyssa is too young and she is an off-worlder. Surely the conditions are not the same…"  
  
"Perhaps the effects are accelerated due to her unique alien DNA but the result is still the same. I'm sorry, Tegan wasn't it?"  
  
"Sorry for what?" Tegan was growing beyond exasperated. "Please, how can you help Nyssa?"  
  
"Sarif will give you a cordial to give your young friend. It should relieve her pain and perhaps lessen the hallucinations. I'm afraid, however, that there is no cure for her condition. I pray her release from this misery will be swift."  
  
Shocked, Tegan looked to Sarif hoping he would deny what Barel had said. However, the medic wouldn't look back at her. He filled a vial with an amber fluid and handed it to her. "I will check on her condition later but for now this will help."  
  
Tears filled the air hostess's eyes. There had to be some mistake. She needed to return to their room and hope the Doctor had returned as well. He would know what to do. Blindly she left the lab. Barel watched until she was out of sight and then turned to Sarif.  
  
"As soon as her friends think she is dead we will send her to appease Balkisia and the Life will once more be saved." 


	4. Betrayal

Part Four: Betrayal  
  
The Doctor sat beside them and gently drew Nyssa into his embrace. Like Adric he was unaccustomed to this side of Nyssa. As worried as he'd been about her, he hadn't wanted her to have an emotional breakdown in this way. He looked down as she became still in his arms. She was looking at him, the expression on her face as unnatural as her tears -- her eyes were flashing with unbridled fury and her jaw was set in anger. He never saw her hand coming until she slapped him solidly across the cheek.  
  
"You! It's all your fault!"  
  
Stunned by the suddenness and the veracity of her slap, The Doctor released Nyssa. Standing, he crossed the room facing away from his two companions. Her words had hurt worse than the stinging of his cheek. She was right of course. He should have known the Master wouldn't give up. He should have done more to protect Tremas. If he had thwarted the Master's attempt to take over Tremas's body the Master might not have survived. Then he would not have been able to disrupt the Logopoltians' code that started the entropy field. Traken would be safe and Nyssa would be home right now with her father. The Doctor would have missed her companionship but more importantly she wouldn't be suffering right now.  
  
"Kassia took care of you for so long, Melkur, and how do you repay her? You take over her mind and convince her that the best way to save my father from being Keeper is for her to betray her Consular vows and all that is right and good in Traken. You had her accuse him of being a criminal and then when she lied her way into being Keeper-Nominate and ultimately Keeper you destroyed her and invaded the sanctity of the Source. YOU!! You are the reason my Father is gone and why Traken was destroyed."  
  
Adric tried to console his friend but she pushed him away as well and returned to her curled up position in the corner. With a sigh he joined the Doctor. "She didn't mean it towards you, you know. She was hallucinating, seeing you as Melkur."  
  
The Doctor squared his shoulders in a move Adric had seen several times since the regeneration. It was a move the boy likened to the Doctor's way of saying his pride was hurt but he wasn't going to say anything. "Yes, I know. I wonder what's keeping Tegan. I do hope she hasn't gotten into any trouble.'  
  
"Doctor?" Tegan stood in the doorway holding the vial Sarif had given her. Tracks of dried tears glistened on her face.  
  
The Time Lord frowned. "Tegan, what is it?"  
  
"Barel…They know what's wrong with Nyssa. The sandstorm caused it. Barel says there's nothing they can do to cure her. He said she's going to die."  
  
Adric looked back at Nyssa. He shook his head. "No, she can't die. Doctor, do something."  
  
"Tegan, what is in the vial?"  
  
"A cordial Sarif gave me. It's supposed to relieve her pain. Doctor, Adric's right. She can't die. Can't we do something?"  
  
The Doctor lowered his head. Flashes of the past came back. Though he'd taken his companions into untold dangers in his years of time traveling and had to say goodbye to so many, he'd only lost two to death. Nightmares of Katarina saving him from the Daleks and Sara Kingdom aging hundreds of years to her death as she tried to travel in time with him would forever haunt him. Would Nyssa's death be added to those nightmares? Not if he could do anything about it. "First, we'll give her the cordial. Then the two of you will get some rest. In the morning, I will find out more about her condition. We won't let Nyssa die."  
  
Tegan offered him the vial but he shook his head. "You give it to her. In her current hallucination she won't trust me."  
  
"Nyssa," Tegan spoke softly. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."  
  
Nyssa swatted it away almost spilling the contents. "No, Kassia, I won't let you frame my father and the Doctor and Adric. Melkur has made you made."  
  
Helplessly, Tegan looked to the guys. With a shrug, Adric took the vial and Tegan's place on the cot. "Nyssa?"  
  
Her brown eyes still held distrust but she didn't pull away. 'Seron?" Adric recognized the name as one of the Traken Consuls at the time he had been there. "Where's my father? I…it hurts. I need him."  
  
"Drink this, Nyssa, and the pain will ease."  
  
"I need my father."  
  
"I'm here, Nyssa." The Doctor touched her shoulder. He hated to lie to her but felt it was worth it if it would play into her hallucinations long enough for her to drink the cordial. She just looked at him for a long moment but at last she nodded and took the vial. From the grimace on her face, it was clear the contents of the vial didn't have a pleasant taste.  
  
Almost immediately the pain reflected in her Nyssa's brown eyes began to fade. A drowsy numbness settled over her. Nyssa blinked a couple of times and then looked at her three friends. "What's going on?"  
  
The Doctor smiled and touched her cheek. "Apparently you picked up something from your exposure to the sandstorm. You've had us quite worried. How do you feel?"  
  
Nyssa could feel her eyes getting heavier. Her body felt as limp as a rag doll. Her voice sounded even to her like it was coming from far away. "Like thousands of dying souls were crying out to me, sharing their pain, calling me to them."  
  
Then at last oblivion lulled her into protective sleep. The Doctor helped settle her on the bed and covered her with a light blanket before turning to Adric and Tegan. "Well, at least it took away the pain and allowed her to sleep. We don't know what to expect but if we are going to save Nyssa, then we'd best be all rested. The two of you should follow her lead and get some sleep. Tegan, you take the other cot. Adric, I'll see if I can get Barel or someone to bring in another bed."  
  
Adric shook his head. "I can sleep on the floor. That's no problem. What are you going to do, Doctor?"  
  
The Doctor tried to smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "You know me, I don't need much sleep. I think I'll find Sarif or Barel and find out more about Nyssa's condition."  
  
The Doctor waited until both Tegan and Adric had settled down and fallen asleep before leaving the room. No sooner had he gone than Nyssa's eyes opened. A deep and powerful voice was resounding in her head.  
  
"Come to me Chosen One. Ease the suffering of the Life."  
  
Nyssa rose and almost hypnotically left the room. Neither Tegan nor Adric stirred.  
  
  
  
*********  
  
"Doctor, how is Nyssa?" Sarif asked as the Doctor entered the lab. His expression was guilty and full of remorse.  
  
"Resting comfortably at last thanks to your cordial. Sarif, tell me about Nyssa's illness. Tegan tells me there is no cure. Is that true?"  
  
Sarif hung his head. "Doctor, what I am about to tell you, Barel doesn't want you to know. I am betraying my people and possibly sentencing them to death by saying anything. But Nyssa is too young and innocent to be sacrificed for us."  
  
The Doctor frowned. "Sacrificed?"  
  
"If Nyssa stays, then she'll be sacrificed to Balkisia, an energy- drainer responsible for the storm. I do not know what will happen to her but you and your friends will never see her again. Please, Doctor, as soon as you and the others are rested, take Nyssa and leave the dome. Battling the Winds will be fierce and difficult but if you want your friend to survive, return from where you came and leave this planet."  
  
"What will happen if we do that? You said that telling me this may mean sentencing your people to death."  
  
"Balkisia will either choose someone new or the Life will be destroyed by the Winds." 


	5. Revelations

The Call Of Balkisia

Chapter 5

"Doctor, how is Nyssa?" Sarif asked as the Doctor entered the lab. His expression was guilty and full of remorse.  
  
"Resting comfortably at last thanks to your cordial. Sarif, tell me about Nyssa's illness. Tegan tells me there is no cure. Is that true?"  
  
Sarif hung his head. "Doctor, what I am about to tell you, Barel doesn't want you to know. I am betraying my people and possibly sentencing them to death by saying anything. But Nyssa is too young and innocent to be sacrificed for us."  
  
The Doctor frowned. "Sacrificed?"  
  
"If Nyssa stays, then she'll be sacrificed to Balkisia, an energy- drainer responsible for the storm. I do not know what will happen to her but you and your friends will never see her again. Please, Doctor, as soon as you and the others are rested, take Nyssa and leave the dome. Battling the Winds will be fierce and difficult but if you want your friend to survive, return from where you came and leave this planet."  
  
"What will happen if we do that? You said that telling me this may mean sentencing your people to death."  
  
"Balkisia will either choose someone new or the Life will be destroyed by the Winds."

Sarif walked across the room and pulled out four bundles of clothing.  He handed them to the Doctor.  "This suits will offer you and your friends some protection from the winds.  Please, Doctor, I know you have no reason to trust me and I'm asking you to take a big risk by taking your young friends back out into the winds but it's the only chance you have to save Nyssa."

The Doctor accepted the bundles and nodded.  "As soon as Nyssa awakens I'll take them all back to our ships.  Then I will come back and see what I can do to help your people."

"NO!"  Sarif shook his head emphatically.  "You can do neither.  Nyssa will not wake up in time.  In a couple of days, Nyssa will appear to die.  At that point she may as well be.  Balkisia will have gained too much of a hold on her for her to be saved.  You must leave here before that happens.  And once you leave the dome with your friends, you must stay gone.  If you return, you will be in danger.  I have no way of knowing what Balkisia will do if Nyssa is not sacrificed to him but I do know that I cannot stand by and let a young child be his next victim.  You and your friends are not of our world and should not have to suffer as we suffer."

 "But it might not be necessary for you to suffer at all, not if I can help.  If I can get my friends back to the TARDIS, Nyssa should be safe from whatever influence Balkisia is having on her.  I can help you find a way to prevent others from going through what Nyssa is going through."

"I can't ask you…"

The Doctor smiled, the expression making him look more boyish than usual.  "You didn't.  I volunteered.  Thank you for explaining the urgency to me.  I will go and wake up Adric and Tegan and get them and Nyssa to safety immediately before our absence could be noted."

Sarif nodded, relieved.  "I'll go with you.  You will need my help getting out the dome unnoticed."

It took the two men no time at all to go back to the guest quarters.  Opening the door, the Doctor looked first to Nyssa's bed.   His eyes widened as he noticed that it was empty.  Quickly he shook Adric and Tegan awake.  "Where's Nyssa?"

Rubbing her eyes, Tegan sat up.  "She's asleep isn't she?  I didn't hear her wake up."

The Doctor turned to Sarif.  "I thought you said she wouldn't wake up for a couple of days."

Sarif paled.  "This can't be.  I simply don't understand how this could be moving so fast."

The Doctor began to pace.  "Sarif, this is extremely important.  How does Balkisia choose his victims?"

Sarif frowned.  "Please, Doctor, we do not look at the Chosen One as a victim.  Yes, he or she is sacrificed to Balkisia but when one of the Life is chosen, it is looked upon as a blessing.  Usually the Chosen One has lived a long and productive live and is ready to join those that have left the Life already.  It is usually one who is mourning the loss of one who has already left the way.  It does seem that the more someone is mourning, the quicker the reaction but Nyssa is so young; I don't understand." 

Tegan and Adric exchanged looks before Tegan turned to the Doctor.  "Doctor, do you think…"

"Yes, I do.  Sarif, Nyssa may be young but she has already suffered more loss than anyone should have to face.  If Balkisia feeds off grief then he's probably having a feast off Nyssa.  Please, where would he take her?  How can we save her?"

"Balkisia didn't take her anywhere.  He called her and she is going to him.  I'm sorry, at this point, I don't think she can be saved."

Tegan grasped Adric's arm.  "No!  There must be a way.  Please, Sarif, you must help us."

"No one has ever survived being chosen.  From what I know, they wouldn't want to be saved even if they could be."  

The Doctor stopped mid-pace.  "We'll save her, even if she doesn't want to be saved.  Please take us to her."

*************

Nyssa stepped blindly toward the green force field.  Voices on top of voices were calling out to her mind but she felt no pain this time.  Instead it was as if the voices were now beckoning her to join them, to end her suffering.  One voice stood out above the rest.  It's warm familiarity was leading her inextricably toward something that intuitively told her was her doom.   

_Nyssa, come to me.  I'm waiting for you._

"I'm coming, Father."  She muttered almost inaudibly.  

Just as she stepped through the force field, the Doctor ran around the corner with Sarif, Tegan and Adric right behind him.  As he saw the brown –haired Trakenite disappear through the green field, the Doctor reached out to her unsuccessfully.   "Nyssa, NO!!!"


	6. Reunited

Author's note:  Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter.  Like some of you I wasn't sure if it was going to be finished.  I just recently purchased a new Audio Drama with the Doctor and Nyssa so it inspired me to come back to this story.  I turned off the smart quotes on my word processor so hopefully the problems with the last chapter with the formatting won't continue with this one.  **fingers crossed**  

Call of Balkisia

Chapter 6

Nyssa stepped blindly toward the green force field.  Voices on top of voices were calling out to her mind but she felt no pain this time.  Instead it was as if the voices were now beckoning her to join them, to end her suffering.  One voice stood out above the rest.  It's warm familiarity was leading her inextricably toward something that intuitively told her was her doom.   

_Nyssa, come to me.  I'm waiting for you._

"I'm coming, Father."  She muttered almost inaudibly.  

Just as she stepped through the force field, the Doctor ran around the corner with Sarif, Tegan and Adric right behind him.  As he saw the brown –haired Trakenite disappear through the green field, the Doctor reached out to her unsuccessfully.   "Nyssa, NO!!!"

Sarif hung his head.  "I'm so sorry, Doctor.  I had hoped we could save her."

Tegan gripped Adric's arm for comfort.  It couldn't be true.  Nyssa couldn't be gone.  Tegan looked to the Doctor.  Surely there was something he could do.  He turned to look at the two of them.  It was the first time either Tegan or Adric had ever seen the doctor at a loss as to what to do.  Finally he turned to Sarif.  "What is beyond that force field?"

"I don't know.  Nobody who's ever gone in has ever come back."

The Doctor nodded.  "I'm going in after her."

Sarif grabbed his arm.  "No, Doctor.  It's too risky.  I'm sorry but your friend has left the Life and there is nothing we can do."

The centuries old Galifreyan shook his head.  "I can't accept that.  Please Sarif, I have to do this.  If something should happen please look after Tegan and Adric."

Before anyone could try to stop him, the Doctor plunged into the force field.  The same ghostly green as the entry way filled this new area.  For a moment he had to cover his ears in pain as the sound of millions of voices called out to him in anger.  It was clear that they thought he was an intruder but he had to do what he could to save Nyssa.  He had let her down when it came to Kassia, Tremas, and the whole of Traken.  He wouldn't let her down again.  

He looked around, searching for some sign of his young companion.  The Doctor recognized that the green of the air seemed to come from the pulsating blob of energy.  He decided that that must be Balkisia, feeding off Nyssa's appearance in this beautiful garden that surrounded him.  Flowers and ornate rocks littered the ground.  A hint of lavender and jasmine even hung in the air.  He ignored Balkisia and the beauty of the surroundings when he saw Nyssa standing in the middle of what appeared to be a group of translucent beings.  He was loath to call them ghosts but that is exactly what they looked like.  "Nyssa!"  

At the sound of her name, Nyssa turned but the expression on her face stopped the Doctor in his tracks.  He had never seen her look so happy in all the time he had known her.  Her face held an almost rapturous glow.  "Doctor, isn't it amazing?"

He tried to focus on the group around her but although he could make out bodily images, he couldn't place any features on them.  But Nyssa appeared to be greeting them as one would long lost relatives suddenly refound.  Remembering her manners, Nyssa started to make her introductions.  "Doctor, you remember Seron and Katura don't you?  I don't believe you ever met Gamia or Chorten."

With a sinking feeling, the Doctor suddenly realized how Balkisia drew his victims to him.  He was using the images of lost friends and loved ones to entice his so-called chosen ones to enter the force field.  He felt a momentary stab of guilt.  When he rescued Nyssa, and he would rescue her, it would be for her just like losing Traken all over again.  She never seemed to blame him before but would she blame him this time?  It was a chance he would have to take.

Two new unrecognizable beings stepped closer.  The Doctor realized that all though he could not tell anything about their features, Nyssa must be seeing them clearly.  The ones closest to his young friend stepped back as the newcomers approached.  Nyssa drew in a quick breath and began to cry.  "Father!  Mother!"

The Doctor lowered his head, feeling hatred for Balkisia.  How dare he do this to the poor child?  Hadn't she been through enough in her young life?  He couldn't watch as Nyssa ran to the beings to embrace them only to pass right through them.  A bright light encapsulated her small figure.  Suddenly she screamed in agony.  

"Doctor."  The voice was so familiar, so real that the Doctor did a double take.  It was unmistakably Tremas's voice.  "Doctor, thank you for taking such good care of our daughter and for bringing her here to us.  But you have to leave now.  You don't belong here."

"I'm not leaving without Nyssa, Balkisia."  He warned the mound of energy nearby.  "I don't care tricks you use to try to convince me otherwise.  This is not the real Tremas; he would never want to see his daughter in this much agony."

The bodies shimmered and as the Doctor blinked the two beings Nyssa had addressed as her parents began taking on a more recognizable corporeal form.  The form of her mother knelt within the light and held her daughter close.  

"She's not in agony, Doctor."  Tremas tried to reassure him despite the fresh screams of pain coming from Nyssa herself.  "Her agony is finally ending.  She's where she belongs, with the people of Traken and her family.  Would you really want her to suffer in grief without us any longer, Doctor?  You who claim her as a friend?"

The figure of Nyssa's mother was the clearest now.  The Doctor studied her carefully.  She was a perfect older version of Nyssa herself, assuring him that Nyssa would continue to be a beautiful woman well into adulthood.  That is, if he could save her now.

"Yes, I who claims her as a friend does not want her life to end here.  And if you were truly her father you would want that as well."

Tremas chuckled warmly.  "Doctor, you do not know what you are saying.  I want what Nyssa wants.  I am willing to give her a choice.  If she wishes to leave we will allow it.  But if she wants to stay, then Doctor, if you care for her as you claim to, you will do the same."

Without wasting a moment, the Doctor rushed to Nyssa's side.  Waves of agonizing pain crashed over her time and again as he entered the light but he ignored it as he knelt beside Nyssa and her mother.  He put his hands on her shoulders but she pulled away.  "Come, Nyssa.  I'll take you to safety."

She shook her head.  "No Doctor.  I'm finally with my parents, my people once again.  I won't lose them again.  Please Doctor, I want to be here."  

Incredibly her voice was free from any traces of pain.  To his amazement, Nyssa's mother was crying.  She stood.  "The Doctor is right.  Nyssa is the last Daughter of Traken and more importantly she's my baby.  For years I've longed to hold my little girl in my arms again but this is not the way it should be.  I want my daughter to grow up, grow wise beyond her years.  I want her to love and to be loved.  I want her to extend the grace and compassion and caring she was raised in to others.  Then, when she has done all she could possibly hope to do, then I will be content to hold her in my arms again."

Tremas, almost fully restored now himself, pulled her away.  "You are mad women.  Our family is now complete again.  This is what's important.  Soon Nyssa will join us here and never suffer again.  How could you not what that, Marissa?  Doctor, please, you heard Nyssa.  Leave before it is too late for you as well."

"NO!  Doctor, take Nyssa away from here.  Protect her as I would if I could."

Nodding, the Doctor scooped Nyssa up in his arms but light enveloping them would not let him leave.  Meanwhile Nyssa was growing paler and paler as if her life energy was leaving her and entering the Trakenites around her.  Balkisia was pulsating brighter and brighter.  Soon all of his efforts would be in vain.  

"Marissa, help me help Nyssa."  The Doctor pleaded as the other Trakenites tried to take Nyssa from him.  Even though the once translucent beings were now almost as real as the Doctor and Nyssa themselves, they could reach in and out of the stasis field surrounding them.  

For a moment she looked helpless as she caressed her daughter's cheek.  Then she drew herself up to her full height and seemed to come to a decision.  She managed, with a strength that belied her small frame, to pick up one of the ornate rocks from the ground.  Then with a cry of helpless anguish, she flung it at right into the heart of the essence that was Balkisia.  A jagged bolt of light reversed the path of the rock and struck Nyssa's mother and she collapsed in a heap on the ground.  Suddenly the whole area began to shake and quiver.  The growing corporeal beings began to shriek in agony as they collapsed to the ground and withered away.  Tremas' body was the last to fade away.  As he disappeared, he left this warning for the Doctor.

"She will forever hate you for this, Doctor."

Staggering the Doctor carried Nyssa toward the entrance.  The green faded around him as he collapsed at Tegan and Adric's feet with Nyssa still in his arms.  Immediately they knelt beside him.

It took several minutes for the pain to fade away enough for the Doctor to catch his breath and realize that Sarif, Tegan, and Adric were all calling his name.  Ignoring them, he turned his attention back to Nyssa.  She still seemed so limp and still.  He checked her pulse and breathing and was relieved to see that both were within normal ranges.  

"Doctor, is she…?"  Tegan couldn't bring herself to finish the question.  

"She's alive but I don't know what lasting effects she'll have."  He didn't add that he also wasn't sure what effect the experience would have on him.  Right now Tegan and Adric needed to be reassured and they wouldn't be unless he projected his normal calm exterior.  

A long sorrowful knell filled the corridor.  Sarif looked alarmed.  "We are all in great peril.  I've only heard that sound once before when I was a small child.  At that time, the Winds had started but Chosen One was found.  The storms grew fiercer and fiercer and the Life was almost destroyed before someone began to show the signs of being affected.  Balkisia must be furious that you have pulled Nyssa from him.  He will destroy us all."

Nyssa's eyes flickered open and she looked at her friends in confusion.  "Wh…what happened?  Wh..Where am I?"

Tegan patted her arm reassuringly.  "It's okay, Nyssa.  The Doctor saved you.  Everything is going to be okay."  She hoped at least, after hearing Sarif's grim warning.

The brown-haired girl looked from Tegan to Adric and then to the Doctor.  She scrambled out of his arms.  "Who are you?"


End file.
